This invention relates to a horizontal coke oven having cross regenerators for heat exchange between gaseous combustion supporting agents and the burnt gases. Each regenerator has a sole flue for the supply and removal of the gaseous media and the sole flue communicates with various vertical sections of the regenerator by way of horizontal partitions forming stationary ports. The present invention is specifically addressed to apparatus for the variable distribution of combustion supporting gases through the stationary ports to discrete vertical sections of the regenerators.
One of the biggest problems in the art of heating coke ovens having cross regenerators is how to distribute, in a suitable manner for the particular form of coke oven operation to be undertaken, the gaseous combustion supporting media to the vertical regenerator sections associated with the various heating flues or groups of the heating flues. The vertical regenerator sections are highly subdivided by vertical partitions which form regenerator cells that are allotted to various parts of the heating wall in the coke oven.
In one known coke oven design, a ported stationary partition which extends over the whole length of the sole flue, is disposed between the sole flue and the regenerator which forms one-half of the heating wall. A plate with portal opening can be moved lengthwise of the channel and is so disposed as to be in direct contact with the stationary partition. The masking of the ports in the stationary plate or partitions varies in accordance with the manner in which the adjustable or movable plate is moved along the sole flue. A facility of this kind has the disadvantage that it is possible to vary the heating of only the entire regenerator. It cannot provide graded heating of discrete vertical sections of the regenerator.
It is also known in the art in regard to horizontal coke ovens to provide a row of plates having ports of different sizes to be disposed between the cross-regenerator and the sole flue. Each such plate being allocated to a particular vertical regenerator section. The plates are carried on supports disposed in the top part of the sole flue. Distribution of the gaseous agents to the discrete vertical regenerator sections can be varied as required at any time by exchanging the various plates for other plates having ports of different sizes. In this operation however, all the plates must be removed seriatim from the coke side of the oven. One or more plates removed in this manner are replaced and the plates are interconnected in a manner that they are not individually movable lengthwise. The plates are then introduced consecutively into the sole flue.